Super Bust-A-Move
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Acclaim Developer: Taito Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Puzzle/ Arcade
Graphics & Sound: The only real improvement from the previous Bust-A-Move installments rests in the graphics department. The low-res, 16-bit graphical style of the original games has been replaced with a high-res, sharp look that's a definite improvement. Of course, the core graphics are still colored balls and goofy characters, but at least it looks cleaner now. If anything, the game looks like Fantavision, with a retro hippie style that fits this title more than it did Sony's puzzle title. Don't expect wild 3D graphics, though -- sharp 2D is all you'll get here. As for the sound, it's kawaii -- in every sense of the word. Japanese, goofy, and cute; the "voice samples" are amusing and nonsensical. The music is bubbly carnival music, which I would probably be mad at if I haven't had the same sort of tunes in this game since the SNES installments. It definitely grows on you, and after years of listening to it, I've come to genuinely like it. It's airy, breezy, pointless, and fun. Much like the game, really. Don't expect too much, and you'll enjoy it.
Gameplay: Well, the good news is that pretty much all of the fun of the previous Bust-A-Move titles is in Super Bust-A-Move. The bad news is that there's not much new here -- certainly not enough to warrant a purchase if you already own a title in the series. A compendium of the previous games would have been a better buy. That's not to say that Super Bust-A-Move is a bad game. Far from it -- it's some of the most addictive gameplay next to Panel de Pon and Tetris. It's just that it's the same game we've been playing since the early 90s. In Super Bust-A-Move, you take control of one of a number of characters in an attempt to either clear various puzzles or beat the stuffing out of an opponent. When by yourself, the Puzzle mode is definitely the way to go; when with friends, the only choice you have is the Battle mode. The Puzzle mode pits you against devious constructions by the Taito team. There's a set of puzzles all-new for Super Bust-A-Move, and then a selection of "classic" puzzles from games past. The new tweaks in gameplay that you'll find in Super Bust-A-Move are tiny bubbles, which slip in the cracks between bubbles, oddly-shaped battlegrounds, which require you to do more thinking than usual when it comes to aiming your shot, and conveyor belts, which make your shots deflect in odd ways. The problem is that these generally end up feeling like gimmicks instead of real play innovations. Having to angle a shot perfectly because of a stupid conveyor belt or banking a tiny bubble in between 30 other bubbles may be cool when you get it right, but you won't 99% of the time, and you'll just get mad. There's still a lot of puzzle action here, and due to the unique branching structure of the levels, you can have a different game on almost every playthrough. Battle mode, however, is where Super Bust-A-Move really shines. As always, destroying bubbles sends them to your opponent's side. It's fast, fun, and addictive as hell. I've put more quarters into the local Bust-A-Move cabinet than any game other than Galaga, and it's because of the sheer addictiveness of the multiplayer game. So it's not that Super Bust-A-Move isn't fun. It's just that it's the same game we've been playing for ages.
Difficulty: Puzzle mode starts off easy, and rapidly gets near-impossible. Fortunately, when you continue, it gives you a guide to help you place your shots where you like. A few of the levels are so difficult that you often fail even when you're using the shot guide, which is a bit unrealistic. Thankfully, you won't be plugging quarters into the PS2. When playing against human opponents, of course, the difficulty all depends on how good they are.
Game Mechanics: The controls in Super Bust-A-Move are spot-on. You use the D-Pad to move the shooter, and you can use L1 and R1 to make super-precise shots. It works fantastically, really, and is the only way to play the game. The core game mechanics, gimmicky though they may sometimes be, are solid and entertaining. And the menus are clear, understandable, and actually pretty cool-looking. It may not be particularly original, but its mechanics are as unflawed as they come. Although Super Bust-A-Move is a hell of a good time, there's just not enough new stuff to make it worth the purchase... unless, on some off chance, you don't already own a title in the series. If you don't, don't walk, but run and buy this game. Those of you with any of the more recent releases, though, will find little here to make it worth another purchase. Here's to hoping Taito/Acclaim release a bundle of every previous Bust-A-Move title -- I'd pick that up in a heartbeat.
-Sunfall to-Ennien, GameVortex Communications AKA Phil Bordelon
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